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Raspberry PiRaspberry Pi Foundation
We've become a society that uses tools we don't understand. Perhaps the most egregious of these is the computer, where things magically appear on a screen and we have no idea why. The Raspberry Pi wants to change that. This is an entire computer that is the size of a credit card and that you connect to a TV and keyboard to get going. Total cost? $25 or $35 dollars, depending on the modelthe more expensive one has two USB ports instead of one, Ethernet, and uses less power.

It's as basic as basic can be, and our review makes clear that this is not for everyday use. This is for "the kind of exploration and tinkering that are nowadays often relegated to even the fringes of the DIY and enthusiast communities, and demands your active participation and intellectual engagement," wrote reviewer Matthew Murray. For example, you'll need to run a bootable operating system off a USB thumb drive. Is it worth it? The learning experience on this tiny, brilliant, inexpensive proto-computer definitely is.Eric Griffith

DISPLAYS

HTC Droid DNA Display by SharpSharp
Can we halt the display density arms race now? The Droid DNA, a device that sits somewhere between phone and tablet, has an incredible 443-pixel-per-inch display. It looks great, and without resorting to tricks like Samsung's PenTile tech (which can make screens look fuzzy on some handhelds). The HTC Droid DNA's 5-inch screen consumes an amount of power comparable to competing displays, and it allows you to show 1080p videos without downscaling.

After some cajoling, we got HTC to reveal that the display is created by Sharp. Here's hoping many other handheld devices start sourcing screens from them soon.Sascha Segan and Eric Griffith

ViewSonic VSD220ViewSonic
Hybrid devices are nothing new but the VSD220 is something new, especially for what could be a 22-inch monitor. It also happens to double as an Android-powered all-in-one with a touch screen. It has a 1GHz, dual-core TI OMAP4 processor and runs a relatively clean version of Android 4.0.4, complete with the Google Play store. Is it a display? An Android-powered all-in-one? A tablet? The mind reels. But what the ViewSonic VSD220 definitely is, flaws and all, is innovative. Laarni Almendrala Ragaza

INTERFACES

Project GlassGoogle
Project Glass, sometimes called "Google Glasses," is Google R&D's experiment with a wearable computer with voice and gesture controls. Using an interface and augmented reality heads-up display, the user sees through glasses with only one lens. If you could wear your Android phone over your eyes and still see the world around you, it might look like the Project Glass specs, but not quite, because it's not really running Android as known today. The headset includes a camera that can record whatever you see, a microUSB port for charging, and probably little to no onboard storage, so expect a wireless connection of some sort.

Will Project Glass ever be an actual mainstream product for the masses? Will it be a product at all? If so, will it be more than just a gimmicky toy for the über-geeky? Only time will tell, but it definitely sets the stage for actual useful, wearable computers. Not that others haven't tried this before. Companies like Vuzix have Smart Glasses already running Android, but Google's the most likely company to make the interface stick.Eric Griffith

Microfluidic Tactile TouchscreenTactus Technology
There was a time when many people feared going from a phone with a tactile keyboard to a touch screen. There may be a few of you left. If so, hold out for a few years longer and maybe you'll be able to get a phone with both.

Tactus Technology is working on screens that would have a plastic panel over the screen that could fill in certain discrete areas with fluid from a reservoir found on the device, creating pop-up buttons on the screen that the users can actually push. This is a big step up from just haptic responses, such as vibration or even a shock when you push a "button" on the flat panel; Tactus wants to give you an actual button, so your thumbs can find the right spot.

The company has raised a few million in investment to keep going, and might have something in place to give manufacturers by late next year, but don't expect it to replace Gorilla Glass on phones in the near future.Eric Griffith

Eric narrowly averted a career in food service when he began in tech publishing at Ziff-Davis over 20 years ago. He was on the founding staff of Windows Sources, FamilyPC, and Access Internet Magazine (all defunct, and it's not his fault). He's the author of two novels, BETA TEST ("an unusually lighthearted apocalyptic tale"--Publishers' Weekly) and KALI: THE GHOSTING OF SEPULCHER BAY. He works from his home in Ithaca, NY.
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